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Formula: (NH4)3Na3[V10O28].12H2O
Decavanadate,
pascoite group
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.407 calculated for the ideal formula, 2.409 for the empirical formula
Hardness: 1
Streak: Orange-yellow
Colour: Orange
Luminescence: No fluorescence under long wave or short wave UV
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Localities
There are two co-type localities, the Sunday Mine and the West Sunday Mine, both in Slick Rock Mining District, San
Miguel County, Colorado, USA.
Rakovanite was found on specimens from both mines. The mines are interconnected, and it is likely that these
rakovanite samples are not isolated occurrences in the mining complex.
The best crystals were found perched on an amorphous dehydrated vanadium
phase along with crystals tightly adhered to a corvusite –
montroseite matrix. Associated minerals include
calcite, corvusite,
hewettite, hughesite,
montroseite, munirite,
paramontroseite, pascoite,
rossite, sherwoodite and other
unidentified vanadium phases, as well as at least two other potentially
new decavanadate species.
Uranium mineralisation occurs predominantly as
primary uraninite
and coffinite along with minor
secondary carnotite.
Rakovanite occurs as crystalline crusts on sandstone
fractures in the mine walls. The mineral forms from the oxidation of
montroseite – corvusite
assemblages.
Crystals of rakovanite are up to 1 mm in maximum dimension and vary in habit from blocky to prismatic,
commonly exhibiting steps and striations
(CM 49.595-604).
Rakovanite from the Sunday Mine - Image
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